Monday, April 3, 2017

Week 35 - Tsy Raharahako

What is up everyone! First off I gotta give a shout out to Poppa Shoe for the birthday! 25 has never looked so good!! I hope you all had a great week and played some April fools jokes! Definitely my favorite holiday of the year and I got Elder Passey with a bucket of water leaning on top of the door so when he walked in he got a little wet haha. It was not intended for Passey but he happened to come through the door next. Has not damaged our relationship though haha. First off it was a great week! 7 baptisms Saturday!! Hard to have a bad week when that happens! I had the privilege of baptizing all of them and it will be a day I will never forget! They will all be great members and I know the blessings are just starting for them and their families! It was a great way to end my stay here in Ambohimanarina as I have heard through the grapevine that there is a plane ticket for me to leave to Fort Dauphin, which is on the southern tip of Madagascar and one of the most beautiful places in the country! I am excited but not looking forward to the goodbyes. I hate goodbyes especially when most of them are goodbye until we meet again with Christ and our Heavenly Father. I would like to share one of my favorite scriptures that I read this week. I was reading in Acts about the apostles preaching about Christ. In Acts 5, Peter and John are thrown in prison because of their preaching. Then they are let out by an angel. They are found again teaching and they are taken again. The people are mad at them and in verses 40 through 42 it talks about how Peter and John were beaten and then let go and told to not preach anymore about Christ. Then it says that they rejoiced. They rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And they went and never stopped preaching about Jesus Christ. Wow. That hit me. Made me feel so lucky to be doing what I am doing. I hope I can have the faith of Peter and John one day. The mission is great. I have loved these last 8 months in my life and would not change it for anything. I have had so many great experiences. And sometimes when you find fleas in your bed or you eat some bad food or you sweat through pores you didn't know you had, you just have to think wow. I am glad I get to do this for my Savior. I am so happy I have this opportunity. I would trade it for nothing. I am by no means suffering but I know that every day, being able to go out and help bring people unto Christ is what I am supposing to be doing right now. I tell myself every day that it is a new day to help people and possibly change someone's life. What an opportunity. I love my mission and especially my Savior and Heavenly Father. I know this Gospel is true. I hope you all have a great week! Love you all!

Last pday me and Stromberg hung up the hammocks and took a nap it was way nice haha

Me and stromberg at lunch haha.

Our district pic! Also at lunch haha.

Me messing with some kids.

Me with some more awesome kids.

These two girls come sprinting whenever they see us, yelling "SHOEMAKER PASSEY" haha they are awesome.

Baptism pics! All of the people getting baptized and me and Elder Passey!

Eric, Tolotra, and Nirina. Sadly their mom had miscarriage and was really sick and could not be baptized but Eric will baptize her when she is better!

Tolotra, Tafita, and Henintsoa with their son and niece and our branch president Fetra.

Anni and her brother Sam and his girlfriend and Sam's girlfriend.

Tolotra's and Tafita's son Steve haha.

Some pics from a semi pro team we scrimmaged today haha referee and everything. We beat them I think as we got the best ballers on the mission to play ha. They asked me if I could come play with them in their tournament this Thursday ha told them maybe if they get baptized haha.